Gay marriage decision deferred

Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous has welcomed the Australian government’s decision to refer a decision on same-sex marriage to a popular vote after the next election, due in 2016, writes Mark Brolly.

A meeting of the governing coalition lasting almost six hours on 11 August decided that any change in the definition of marriage could be put to the Australian people as a plebiscite or referendum, rather than proceeding with a vote on legislation before the Federal Parliament. Supporters of traditional marriage laid more than 3,000 floral bouquets in front of Parliament House leading up to the decision.

Archbishop Porteous wrote in The Australian newspaper on 15 August that the government’s decision offered Australians an opportunity to step back from the “emotion and vitriol of the debate”.